Friday, July 1, 2011

We have completely revamped our website, added a lot of new products and hopefully made it easier for our friends to wander around and shop.

To kick off the new look we have a couple of super specials for you! Here's a link to the page with the sales: http://horizonsltd.com/sales.html just in case the following doesn't work when I copy and paste.

Thursday, January 21, 2010

Question: One of my shrubs looks like it has been killed by the cold weather. I thought it was hardy. May I take it back for a refund?

Answer: Cold hardiness is not an exact science, and there are numerous factors that come into play when considering how cold hardy a plant is. A plant may survive 0 degrees F. for one night with no damage provided temperatures rise the next day. The same plant may be killed outright if exposed to only 15 degrees F. for three nights if daytime temperatures don’t rise above freezing. Plants that are well established are less likely to be damaged than those planted more recently. Cold snaps that follow extremely warm periods are more damaging than those that come after a gradual period of cooling. Plants that are flushed with new growth due to lots of water and nitrogen fertilizer are also more likely to be damaged than those grown under leaner conditions. Plants in pots and containers are much more susceptible to cold damage because their roots are more exposed than those of plants in the ground. Some evergreen plants in sunny areas will experience “leaf burn” if the ground remains frozen for extended periods. This is because the sunlight will raise the temperature of the leaf and cause it to transpire and lose water. The plant is unable to absorb water from the frozen ground which leads to the scorched appearance of the leaves. These plants often re-leaf in the spring with no major damage. This may be the kind of damage you are seeing, and it is premature to write the shrub off as dead. It is also unfair to expect a nursery to predict every possible scenario and guarantee success in all situations and conditions. If we are that demanding, it may lead to nurseries carrying only Japanese honeysuckle and Chinese privet.

Q: What is the difference between molasses and sorghum?

A: Sorghum and molasses are both syrupy products with similar textures, but are derived from different plants. Sorghum comes from juice of the sorghum plant that is boiled down. Molasses is a by-product of sugar production and comes from the sugarcane plant. During the production of sugar, juices from the sugarcane plant are extracted and boiled down to create the crystallized form of sugar commonly sold in stores. As this crystallized version is created, the remainder of the solution forms what is known as molasses. Depending on how many times the sugarcane juice has been boiled, molasses will have a different color, taste and texture.

Q: What kind of bay is used in cooking?

A: The bay used in cooking is Laurus nobilis. It is also known as “sweet bay” or “bay laurel.” Do not confuse it with other plants with similar names that may be unsuitable or even toxic.

Q: I have two identical oaks in my yard. However, one sheds its leaves early in the fall while the other one holds its leaves almost until winter. What can be the reason?

A: Genetic variability between the trees is probably the main reason. Oaks, even within the same species, have an especially wide range of characteristics. Oaks also hybridize freely. Your trees may look identical, but one may be a hybrid with another oak species, and this could be the reason one retains its leaves longer than the other. Location could be another less important factor involved. A tree in a protected location, over a water line or sewage line or near a source of artificial light at night will retain its leaves longer than normal.

Consumer Q’sPrepared by the Office of Public AffairsGeorgia Department of AgricultureTommy Irvin, Commissionerwww.agr.georgia.gov

Saturday, October 24, 2009

(ISNS) -- Tomato seeds exposed to nanoparticles in the form of carbon nanotubes that are only 1/50,000 the width of a human hair, sprouted sooner and grew faster in what researchers are describing as a step toward the "goals of nanoagriculture."

Scientists from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock mixed nanotubes with tomato seeds and discovered that the nanotubes "significantly affect [the seeds] biological activity, most probably by enhancing the amount of water that penetrates inside the seeds during the germination period."

The scientists found that seeds mixed with nanotubes accumulated 57.6 percent of moisture they were exposed to, while normal seeds picked up only 38.9 percent. The nano-exposed seeds sprouted up to two times faster than normal seeds and weighed twice as much because of the increased water uptake.

The mechanism by which the nanoparticles cause or support increased water uptake isn't clear, the scientists said, but noted that the "positive effect ... of seed germination could have significant economic importance for agriculture, horticulture, and the energy sector, such as for production of biofuels."

Friday, June 26, 2009

Initially we set up two blogs, Horizons LTD's Garden Emporium, then when we discovered no one had grabbed the great title Garden Emporium we snagged it, too. Since we had two blogs we figured we'd double post and maximize our exposure and readership...

After thinking about it, we decided that wasn't really the best way to do things.

So... after putting out brilliant minds together, we opted to focus on two different very important areas of importance to gardeners: tools and gardening tips / articles.

This blog will focus on tool usage, tips, what works best in various circumstances and similar topics. Our Garden Emporium blog will stick to the ins and outs of gardening. Sure, there are going to be some cross-overs, but at least we won't be putting the same articles on two different blogs!

Cool, huh? Next we're going to set up a Facebook fan page or two or ten and we're going to put some video demos on YouTube. Not sure if we're going to add a MySpace page... whatcha think? should we do it?

Wonder what the next big "thing" will be on the Internet? Twitter seems to have been the proverbial storm that swept the globe in recent months.

Hey, want to have a bit of fun? You can garden on Facebook! Yep, I have a personal account and I've received untold numbers of requests to water gardens and grow stuff. Seems if you don't keep up your garden will die. Me, I have enough to keep up with in my real garden!

A late spring freeze followed by heavy rains were a blessing for some Georgia blueberry growers. But they brought more hard work to others, according to University of Georgia experts.

The heavy rains delayed harvest of the southeast Georgia crop, causing some early concerns about highbush berry quality. “We had to work harder to make grade due to the heavy rains this spring, but it’s turning out to be good year for rabbiteye growers,” said UGA Cooperative Extension blueberry agent Danny Stanaland.

“We grow two blueberry crops in Georgia – highbush and rabbiteye,” Stanaland went on to explain. The highbush crop in some areas of southeast Georgia, which is the state’s major commercial production area, “was hit hard by the late freeze and will produce only about 35 to 50 percent of the crop.”

Robust rabbiteye crop

Fortunately, blueberry fans all over Georgia can expect a bumper crop from the rabbiteye variety.

“It will be the largest crop of rabbiteye blueberries we’ve had in several years,” Stanaland said.That’s especially good news for Georgia’s 300 blueberry growers. The majority of the crop is rabbiteye variety, and about 10 percent of the total crop is highbush variety.

“The highbush variety blooms and fruits early, making it more susceptible to the low temperatures and rain,” Stanaland said. “But, May 20 we finished harvesting highbush. That crop is gone.”

Growers are now harvesting rabbiteye berries in three phases.

“The early rabbiteye berries were wet and had some grading issues because it required more selective picking to get the good berries,” he said. “Now that it’s dry again, it’s much easier to harvest and grade, and fruit quality is very positive. We have the heaviest rabbiteye fruit set we’ve had in years. So, while we were short on highbush berries, we are going to be long on rabbiteye.”

Pick-your-own time

In the northern half of the state, where most blueberry operations are pick-your-own, growers are reporting larger-than-normal berries and an abundant crop, just in time for many markets to open this weekend.

In 2008, Georgia blueberry growers harvested more than 14,000 acres of blueberries with an off-the-farm value of close to $61 million dollars, slightly above the five-year average.

This year, growers expect to harvest between 12,000 and 14,000 acres, but that figure could surge as high as 15,000 to 20,000 acres, according to Stanaland and county Extension agent reports. About 75 percent of those acres are in southeast Georgia.

Prices are holding steady in spite of the abundance of available fruit this year, which usually drives prices down. Growers are getting about $14 per flat — or $1.40 per pound — for fresh berries, only a shade lower than last year’s price.

(Author Faith Peppers is a news editor for the University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences.)

Georgia Department of Agriculture Commissioner Tommy Irvin says that nearly $1 million in federal funds are on the way from Washington for competitive grants that promote the marketing and enhancement of “specialty crops” in the state. The funds, distributed as part of the 2008 Farm Bill, are designated under the Specialty Crop Block Grant Program.

Irvin says $909,576.44 in U.S. Dept. of Agriculture (USDA) funds will be awarded on a competitive basis for developmental projects that support and enhance the competitiveness of Georgia Specialty Crops. Awards will be presented for projects that can successfully measure the greatest return on investment of the federal dollars. Grants of $10,000 up to $150,000 will be awarded for up to three years.

Organizations eligible to apply include non-profit organizations, corporations, commodity associations, state and local governments, colleges and universities. Applicants must live, conduct business or have an educational affiliation in Georgia. The application deadline is 5 p.m., Friday, July 17, 2009.

Grants will not be awarded for projects that solely benefit a particular commercial product or provide a profit to a single organization, institution, or individual. Single organizations, institutions, and individuals are encouraged to participate as project partners.

Thanks for visiting our Horizons LTD Garden Tool blog! We've been in business for over 20 years, but this is our first time blogging... we figured it was way past time to start sharing some of the interesting tidbits, tips and info we've gathered over the years.

In this blog we focus on gardening tools, tips to help use the tools and similar topics. In our Garden Emporium blog we share plant news, tips for your garden, etc.

Please visit our websites for more tidbits, news, and great products. Check out Horizons LTD for unique quality home and garden products and Softcoolers for a great selection of soft-sided coolers.